Lawsuit against Port Authority fare hike to see court hearing December 1

A lawsuit filed against the Port Authority over recent fare hikes will be presented in U.S. District Court in New York on December 1 to see if the case will reach a full trial.

The New York State and North Jersey Chapters of AAA have joined in a
federal lawsuit to block a toll increase at the six bi-state bridges and
tunnels run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Port Authority has violated federal law by imposing the toll hike
as part of a plan to finance a group of capital projects including some
that are not related to transportation, AAA claims in a suit filed in late September.

The tolls, seen for the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel and Bayonne Bridge in Hudson County, were criticized for extreme increases when they went into effect on Sept. 18, raising tolls
to $9.50 for E-ZPass customers and $12 for cash payers during peak
hours, from $8, rising to $12.50 for E-ZPass and $15 for cash by 2015,
respectively.

Much criticism came from the fact the toll money will go to fund the World Trade Center project - a $11 billion project that needed more funding.

"Today, more than ever, we should make sure that tolls from
facilities on the Northeast corridor’s busiest interstate transportation
system are not diverted to unrelated projects," Marta Genovese,
vice president and counsel for AAA New York, told nj.com.

The Port Authority is attempting to have the lawsuit dismissed, indicating the fare hikes were necessary to fund projects like more PATH trains and general transportation improvements.